Canadian History 621A – Create Your Own Heritage Minute We have all had the opportunity to watch Historica minutes either on television or on the Historica website, or on CBC. These minutes tell the stories of significant Canadians or Canadian achievements and do so in one minute. Other shows, like Report and create other, less-informative ‘’ that poke fun at what it is to be Canadian. In this activity, you get to choose which type of minute you produce.

Before Beginning Take some time and view the actual minutes on the Historica Canada website and also the parodies on the Rick Mercer Report and This Hour has 22 Minutes. The sites: Historica Minutes: http://www.historicacanada.ca Rick Mercer Report: http://www.cbc.ca/mercerreport/ This Hour has 22 Minutes: http://www.cbc.ca/22minutes/ The Approach  You may work alone or in groups do complete this activity. No group may exceed five students.  You may also enlist students from outside this class to help with acting, filming, script-writing, etc.  Students from History 621A, however, should appear on film OR as the voice over.  Students will be responsible for all filming, editing, and script-writing.  Students must also use their own video equipment, although arrangements can be made for borrowing school resources.  All work must be completed on students’ own time.  Before beginning, brainstorm and make some decisions about stories or events that would fit in a Heritage Minute. (You have already started this process with Heritage Minute Mania Discussion Forum)  There are literally thousands of personalities and events in Canadian history to choose from. Topics must be chosen and submitted to Mr. Kelly no later than Wednesday, December 9.  A storyboard must be created (and submitted no later than December 18), revealing groups' progress before filming.  Write a script before you begin storyboarding and then filming.  On the due date, along with the film, students submit a good copy of the script.  The film will be completed in the same style as the real minutes, complete with on-screen action and voice-overs.

Presentation  Upon completion of student projects, storyboards, scripts and videos shall be shared within the classroom.  After they have been submitted, student videos will be shown in class.  Assessment will be completed using the rubric shown below.

What's a Storyboard? Once a script is written for a film, the next step is to make a storyboard. A storyboard visually tells the story of a film panel by panel, kind of like a comic book. Creating a storyboard will help you plan your film out shot by shot. You can make changes to your storyboard before you start filming, instead of changing your mind later. You will also be able to talk about your film and show your storyboard to other people (like Mr. Kelly) to get feedback on your ideas. Use the site below to become familiar with the language. Your storyboards will be rough and should include 10-15 sketches that represent your planned film sequences. Useful sites to help create your storyboard:  http://accad.osu.edu/womenandtech/Storyboard%20Resource  http://www.wikihow.com/Create-a-Storyboard  http://www.storyboardthat.com/ (this is an online site where you can digitally create a storyboard!)

Assessment and Due Date This activity’s intention is to encourage students to explore Canadian history in a fun and irreverent manner. We understand that we aren’t professional script writers or film makers. Perfection should not be your goal - your goal should be to inform and to entertain, while putting your creative talents to good use. All final copies of minutes (accompanied by an official script) are due on January 15, 2015. Canadian History 621A Heritage Minute Assessment Rubric Categories & Criteria 4 3 2 1 Knowledge & Understanding  Is it clear that students understand the person/events being portrayed due to research/reading?  Does the Heritage Minute explain/describe the person/event in a respectful and intelligent manner? Thinking & Inquiry  Has the Heritage Minute been well-planned (with a solid storyboard and well-crafted script)?  Does the Heritage Minute tell its story in between 1 and 5 minutes? Communication  Is the narrative clear to the audience? Remember, many Heritage minutes teach the event while portraying it to the audience. The audience should learn some history through watching the Minute. Film & Sound Techniques  Does the Heritage Minute benefit from good film-making practice and editing techniques?  Are all voices clear and easily heard? Is music used to enhance the setting? Telling the Story  Are the characters well-developed and do they accurately portray the event in a believable fashion?  Are costumes, accents, props, and settings appropriate to the event being portrayed?